Tennessee fined more than $8 million for over 200 infractions in football program

Tennessee Football Program Fined Over $8 Million for 200+ Infractions

On Friday, the NCAA imposed a fine of more than $8 million on Tennessee and released a scathing report highlighting over 200 infractions that occurred during former football coach Jeremy Pruitt’s three-year tenure. Although the Volunteers managed to avoid a postseason ban, the report, spanning over 80 pages, revealed 18 Level I violations, the most severe category, mainly involving recruiting infractions and direct payments totaling approximately $60,000 to athletes and their families.

Kay Norton, the head of the panel responsible for Tennessee’s case, described the violations as “egregious and expansive.” She stated, “It’s one of the largest cases this committee has ever adjudicated.”

While acknowledging Tennessee’s cooperation, the NCAA emphasized the difficulty in reaching a decision that excluded a postseason ban, given the circumstances. The infractions panel called for a clear definition of penalty philosophy beyond postseason bans and the creation of updated penalty guidelines.

As a result of the investigation, four former staffers, including Jeremy Pruitt, received show-cause orders. Pruitt’s show-cause order spanned six years, reflecting his involvement in the violations that took place. Pruitt was fired in early 2021.

The NCAA report identified a failure in monitoring the football program at the university. Additionally, it stated that the former head coach violated rules related to head coach responsibility due to personal involvement in the violations.

University of Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman acknowledged the gravity of the wrongdoing and expressed the school’s commitment to resolving the case with integrity. In a statement, she highlighted the avoidance of a postseason ban as a significant outcome that aligned with their principles.

The NCAA investigation revealed that the majority of the violations stemmed from a paid unofficial visit scheme employed by the football program over a two-year period. It involved at least twelve members of the football staff and encompassed 110 impermissible hotel room nights, 180 impermissible meals, 72 instances of providing impermissible entertainment or other benefits, 41 impermissible recruiting contacts, 37 instances of providing impermissible game day parking, and 14 occasions where gear was impermissibly given to prospects.

Furthermore, the NCAA discovered that Jeremy Pruitt and his wife were involved in making impermissible payments to two prospects who later committed to Tennessee. One player’s mother received a $6,000 down payment on a car from Pruitt’s wife. After the player signed with the Vols, the mother received $500 monthly for car payments on at least 25 occasions. Additionally, she received $1,600 from Pruitt’s wife for a rental home deposit. In the case of another prospect, the NCAA found that Pruitt gave the prospect’s mother an envelope containing $3,000 for medical bills. Records revealed that the mother deposited $5,100 into her bank account shortly after a similar amount was withdrawn from the head coach’s account. Pruitt also provided $300 to cover the prospect’s mother’s gas expenses. Both players participated in 23 games while ineligible, according to the NCAA.

The NCAA panel expressed concern over a former staff member’s statement that she failed to report violations out of fear of retaliation and backlash, which exposed the toxic culture that existed under the head coach’s leadership.

Norton acknowledged that Tennessee’s cooperation played a significant role in the absence of a postseason ban among the range of penalties available to the committee. She emphasized that the violations directly related to recruiting and demonstrated a clear disregard for following the rules.

With the NCAA’s final decision, a troubling chapter in the history of Tennessee football comes to a close. However, Jeremy Pruitt’s dismissal paved the way for the team’s rejuvenation under his replacement, Josh Heupel, who has led the Volunteers to an 18-8 record in the past three seasons, including a victory over powerhouse Alabama in the Southeastern Conference last year.

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More about football program infractions

• NCAA: Official NCAA website
• University of Tennessee: Official University of Tennessee website
• AP College Football: AP College Football news
• AP Top 25: AP Top 25 rankings
• NCAA Infractions Process: NCAA Infractions Process information
• NCAA Penalty Guidelines: NCAA Penalty Guidelines document